Standard: Science

28 Feb 2021

Wildlife Tracking

August – June

In and around Greenacres, animals are busy even when we are not watching. Tracks, scat, and chewed nuts and twigs are examples of signs of animals that allow us to know that an animal has been to a given spot. Students will use evidence of animals we find to piece together the story of all their secret activities.

Ohio Science Standards:

  • LS Grade K: Living things have physical traits and behaviors, which influence their survival.
  • LS Grade 1: Living things have basic needs, which are met by obtaining materials from the physical environment.
  • LS Grade 1: Living things survive only in environments that meet their needs.
  • LS Grade 2: Living things cause changes on Earth.
  • LS Grade 3: Individuals of the same kind differ in their traits and sometimes the differences give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
  • LS Grade 5: All of the processes that take place within organisms require energy.
  • LS Grade 7: Matter is transferred continuously between one organism to another and between organisms and their physical environments.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science is a way of knowing about the world around us based on evidence from experimentation and observations.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science assumes that objects and events occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.
  • SWK Grade 6-8: Science is a continual process and the body of scientific knowledge continues to grow and change.

NGSS Standards:

  • 3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
  • 3-LS3-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.
  • 3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.
  • MS-LS2-2: Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

Vocabulary:

sign, scat, track, evidence, adaptation, survival, habitat

Video Introduction:  CLICK HERE for a tracking video with a Greenacres educator

28 Feb 2021

Survival: Fire or Food or Shelter

April – October * Fair weather only *

Choose a survival focus area and come for one program or plan to attend the entire series. Join us as we build confidence in primitive living skills.

Shelter:  We will take a cue from the animals who call Greenacres home as we build our shelters.  

Fire:  Learn what it takes to build a fire and then gather around it to share stories. 

Food:  From the fish in our Greenacres’ waters to the forests, learn what the land could provide for you in a survival situation (this will not involve tasting).

Ohio Science Standards:

  • SWK Grade K-2: The world is discovered through exploration.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Exploration leads to observation. Observation leads to questions.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Natural events happen today as they happened in the past.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Events happen in regular patterns and cycles in the natural world.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science is a way of knowing about the world around us based on evidence from experimentation and observations.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science assumes that objects and events occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.
  • SIPA Grade 6-8: Apply knowledge of science content to real-world challenges.

NGSS Standards:

  • K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
  • 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  • MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success. 

Vocabulary:

awareness, exploration, observation, primitive

Video Introduction:  CLICK HERE for a shelter video with a Greenacres educator

28 Feb 2021

Nature Journaling

August – June

By combining nature exploration with journaling, students will gain a deeper understanding of the observations we make while experiencing nature at Greenacres. Journaling allows us to slow down, take in more of our surroundings, and notice more. This program works well as a series or as an individual field trip.

Ohio Science Standards:

  • SWK Grade K-2: The world is discovered through exploration.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Exploration leads to observation. Observation leads to questions.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Natural events happen today as they happened in the past.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Events happen in regular patterns and cycles in the natural world.
  • K.PS.1: Objects and materials can be sorted and described by their properties.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science is a way of knowing about the world around us based on evidence from experimentation and observations.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science assumes that objects and events occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.
  • SWK Grade 6-8: Science is a continual process and the body of scientific knowledge continues to grow and change.

NGSS Standards:

  •  K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
  • 2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Vocabulary:

observation, inference

Introduction: CLICK HERE for a poster from a Greenacres educator

28 Feb 2021

Nature Exploration

August – June

This program engages students in a hands-on exploration of Ohio’s natural areas.  We’ll focus on building observation skills and applying them to learning about our environment.  This is an ideal program for a first time visit to Greenacres or for students to become more comfortable in nature.

Ohio Science Standards:

  • SWK Grade K-2: The world is discovered through exploration.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Exploration leads to observation. Observation leads to questions.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Natural events happen today as they happened in the past.
  • SWK Grade K-2: Events happen in regular patterns and cycles in the natural world.
  • K.PS.1: Objects and materials can be sorted and described by their properties.
  • K.PS.2: Some objects and materials can be made to vibrate and produce sound.
  • 3.LS.2: Individuals of the same kind of organism differ in their inherited traits. These differences give some individuals an advantage in surviving and/or reproducing.
  • 4.LS.1: Changes in an organism’s environment are sometimes beneficial to its survival and sometimes harmful.
  • 5.LS.1 Organisms perform a variety of roles in an ecosystem.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science is a way of knowing about the world around us based on evidence from experimentation and observations.
  • SWK Grade 3-5: Science assumes that objects and events occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.
  • SIPA Grade 6-8: Apply knowledge of science content to real-world challenges.

NGSS Standards:

  • K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
  • 3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment
  • 5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

Ohio Social Studies Standards:

  •  SS Grade 5: Geography- Political, environmental, social and economic factors cause people, products and ideas to move from place to place in the Western Hemisphere and results in diversity.

    Vocabulary:

    observation, senses, living, nonliving, adaptations

    Video Introduction: CLICK HERE for exploration video with a Greenacres educator

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